“Haven’t been to this shithole in years” John mumbled as they crossed the street. The streetlights were flickering in the dark. He turned to his companion, a young girl, too pretty to be in this neighborhood. “You’re lucky I’m doin’ this, ya know. You shouldn’t get mixed up with guys like Mackie”.
“Mack’s the only lead I’ve got,” she responded, “he’s gotta know where my sister went”. Penny was always nice to John in the two years that he’d been her garbage man. When she came asking for help finding her lost sister he couldn’t say no.
From what John gathered, Penny’s sister was a junkie; involved in some minor crime syndicate, and one of the local small-time guys happened to go way back with John.
“I can’t promise he’ll help us at all. I haven’t seen Mackie since we were both kids. Plus, he thinks he’s some big shot now, a regular Corleone,” John regretted agreeing to help her out. “Keep your mouth shut, we’re here”.
The bar was where Mack the Knife, as he was now known, handled his business. It was a run-down family pub converted into a sleazy strip club. John nodded at the bouncer, who was too busy checking out Penny to notice. The place looked nothing like it did back before it was Mack’s territory. It sure smelled the same, though, dank and musty, plus the gaudy red wallpaper and red leather bar stools were almost as cheap as the coked-out girls walking around the place.
John walked up to the bar, “We’re here for Mack,” he said. The bartender pointed to a back hallway
“Furthest door down. Don’t forget to knock.”
The bartender eyed up Penny same as the bouncer did, “I knew I shouldn’t have brought her here,” John thought. As they headed back John whispered to Penny, “Now Mack’s a small fry, but don’t tell him that. He’s got an ego, just like all other small fries. Don’t piss him off and he might just know something about your sister.” She nodded.
The hall way was cramped and covered in the same red wallpaper as the rest of the bar. When they came to the door John knocked twice.
“Who is it?” a voice barked out from the other side.
“Look, Mack, it’s me. Johnnie, from when we were kids.”
The door swung open, a barrel-chested man blocked their path. Over the behemoth’s shoulder John could see Mack sitting at a desk.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Little Johnnie from my old neighborhood coming to pay me a visit, and it looks like he brought company.” Mack’s office was decorated in the same cheap style as his bar. A couple girls were near-passed out on a sofa against the wall. There were two other bodyguards, apart from the one who opened the door. Mack, a big man himself, had started to go bald since the last time John saw him.
“Howdy, Mack. How’s tricks?”
“Things are good, as you can see. I’m moving up in this world, Johnnie. I got men under me now, good men. And good money coming in, too. Is this your girlfriend?” He raised his glass in Penny’s direction.
“Nah, Mack, this is Penny. I owe her a favor. She wanted to talk to you.”
“Well why ain’t she talking then?” Mack grinned at the young girl.
Penny put on her best damsel in distress, “Pleased to meet you, Mack. You see, I’ve got a problem, and I hear that you’re the one who can help me. My sister, she’s gone missing. She was into drugs, but, shit, she’s my sister. I have to find her.”
“What was her name?” Mack asked.
“Theresa,” Penny replied.
“Now, Penny, let me first tell you that me and my compatriots are in no way involved in the drug trade. No way, not stand-up guys like us. Now, out of respect for my friend Johnnie here, might be that I can help you out.” Mack leaned back in his chair, proud of his response. “I happen to know that a certain Lenora Bruce out in Clarksville might have some knowledge to your sister’s whereabouts. You’ll probably have to grease her palm a bit, but Lenora’s a good gal. She’ll help you guys out for a small price.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you, Mack,” Penny gushed, “you don’t know how relieved I am to hear that.”
John was glad he could help her, “Thanks Mack, I sure owe you one.”
“It was a favor for a buddy from the old times, don’t even mention it. Plus it’s always hard to turn down young women.”
John and Penny turned to leave, “Oh, and John, I’ll call you if I ever need that garbage truck of yours.”
“Mack’s the only lead I’ve got,” she responded, “he’s gotta know where my sister went”. Penny was always nice to John in the two years that he’d been her garbage man. When she came asking for help finding her lost sister he couldn’t say no.
From what John gathered, Penny’s sister was a junkie; involved in some minor crime syndicate, and one of the local small-time guys happened to go way back with John.
“I can’t promise he’ll help us at all. I haven’t seen Mackie since we were both kids. Plus, he thinks he’s some big shot now, a regular Corleone,” John regretted agreeing to help her out. “Keep your mouth shut, we’re here”.
The bar was where Mack the Knife, as he was now known, handled his business. It was a run-down family pub converted into a sleazy strip club. John nodded at the bouncer, who was too busy checking out Penny to notice. The place looked nothing like it did back before it was Mack’s territory. It sure smelled the same, though, dank and musty, plus the gaudy red wallpaper and red leather bar stools were almost as cheap as the coked-out girls walking around the place.
John walked up to the bar, “We’re here for Mack,” he said. The bartender pointed to a back hallway
“Furthest door down. Don’t forget to knock.”
The bartender eyed up Penny same as the bouncer did, “I knew I shouldn’t have brought her here,” John thought. As they headed back John whispered to Penny, “Now Mack’s a small fry, but don’t tell him that. He’s got an ego, just like all other small fries. Don’t piss him off and he might just know something about your sister.” She nodded.
The hall way was cramped and covered in the same red wallpaper as the rest of the bar. When they came to the door John knocked twice.
“Who is it?” a voice barked out from the other side.
“Look, Mack, it’s me. Johnnie, from when we were kids.”
The door swung open, a barrel-chested man blocked their path. Over the behemoth’s shoulder John could see Mack sitting at a desk.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Little Johnnie from my old neighborhood coming to pay me a visit, and it looks like he brought company.” Mack’s office was decorated in the same cheap style as his bar. A couple girls were near-passed out on a sofa against the wall. There were two other bodyguards, apart from the one who opened the door. Mack, a big man himself, had started to go bald since the last time John saw him.
“Howdy, Mack. How’s tricks?”
“Things are good, as you can see. I’m moving up in this world, Johnnie. I got men under me now, good men. And good money coming in, too. Is this your girlfriend?” He raised his glass in Penny’s direction.
“Nah, Mack, this is Penny. I owe her a favor. She wanted to talk to you.”
“Well why ain’t she talking then?” Mack grinned at the young girl.
Penny put on her best damsel in distress, “Pleased to meet you, Mack. You see, I’ve got a problem, and I hear that you’re the one who can help me. My sister, she’s gone missing. She was into drugs, but, shit, she’s my sister. I have to find her.”
“What was her name?” Mack asked.
“Theresa,” Penny replied.
“Now, Penny, let me first tell you that me and my compatriots are in no way involved in the drug trade. No way, not stand-up guys like us. Now, out of respect for my friend Johnnie here, might be that I can help you out.” Mack leaned back in his chair, proud of his response. “I happen to know that a certain Lenora Bruce out in Clarksville might have some knowledge to your sister’s whereabouts. You’ll probably have to grease her palm a bit, but Lenora’s a good gal. She’ll help you guys out for a small price.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you, Mack,” Penny gushed, “you don’t know how relieved I am to hear that.”
John was glad he could help her, “Thanks Mack, I sure owe you one.”
“It was a favor for a buddy from the old times, don’t even mention it. Plus it’s always hard to turn down young women.”
John and Penny turned to leave, “Oh, and John, I’ll call you if I ever need that garbage truck of yours.”